1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of firearms. In particular, the present invention provides certain improvements in bolt-action firearms. More particularly, the present invention provides certain improvements in double barrel bolt action repeating firearms. The present invention is particularly applicable to over/under double barrel bolt action repeating rifles.
2. Description of the Related Art
A double barrel bolt action firearm is described in Canadian Patent No. 2,080,712 dated Sep. 12, 2002. That patent shows a double barreled repeating firearm with a number of important technical innovations. Included among the innovations in CA 2,080,712 is a bolt assembly comprising a bolt body having a pair of forwardly extending parallel breach bolts extending therefrom. The bolt body also houses a firing pin assembly with a pair of firing pins concentric with the breach bolts and a cocking piece assembly with a pair of cocking pieces, one for each firing pin. Since the bolt body has a pair of breach bolts extending therefrom, one for each barrel of the firearm, the bolt body cannot be rotated in a manner similar to a bolt of a typical bolt action firearm. It is therefore provided with a collar that is fixed relative to the longitudinal axis of the bolt body, but rotatable relative to the bolt body. The collar has locking means, such as lugs or interrupted threads formed on its external surface that are co-operable with complementary locking means formed in the receiver of the firearm. The collar is provided with a handle, so that the collar can be rotated to an unlocked position, and the bolt assembly withdrawn to eject spent cartridges, and begin to cycle fresh cartridges into the firing chamber, and withdraw and cock the firing pins. It will be understood that the bolt assembly of the double barrel bolt action firearm described in CA 2,080,712 is substantially rectangular, because of the parallel pair of bolts, and it is fairly heavy. Therefore, when it is withdrawn, there exists a need to keep the bolt steady, and properly aligned with the receiver.
In CA 2,080,712, the Applicant (who is also the current Applicant), stated in the paragraph linking pages 7 and 8 that a bolt body constructed in one piece with a breach bolts is considered superior to a bolt assembly with separate breach bolts that attach to the bolt body. This was stated to be possible, but that it would increase manufacturing costs.
A further area of improvement of the present invention concerns the bolt body and cocking pieces. In CA 2,080,712, the bolt body includes a front piece to which the breach bolts are attached. Extending rearwardly from the front piece are a spaced pair of body members, between which are positioned the cocking pieces. The cocking pieces slide beside each other, and each is captive in a dovetail groove of one of the pair of body members. This type of sliding connection between the cocking pieces and the bolt body is expensive to produce, and requires that the parts be machined to very fine tolerances.